


Favoritism

by giantpanda



Series: What if... [8]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25974238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giantpanda/pseuds/giantpanda
Summary: What if after the favoritism complaint Neil admitted to Audrey that he had feelings for Claire?
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: What if... [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799092
Comments: 16
Kudos: 51





	Favoritism

It had been a month since the anonymous favoritism complaint had been placed against him. Neil still maintained that it was ridiculous and didn’t feel that he ever showed favoritism for Claire that wasn’t warranted. However, when he had sat down to hash it out more with Audrey, he had revealed something that he hadn’t even realized until that moment. He was falling for Claire. Audrey had realized it before he did.

Audrey had given him a choice, either he needed to stop working with Claire or he needed to stop seeing her outside of work. Audrey pushed him towards keeping things strictly professional, explaining how as a young woman, Claire would be viewed much harsher than he would if people thought they were in a relationship. Neil agreed that Claire was too talented, and he didn’t want to ever give anyone any reason to doubt her abilities. However, he refused to be the one to make that decision. He didn’t think it was right for him to decide for Claire what she needed or wanted, a mentor or a friend.

He had gone to dinner with her after shift and explained the situation, leaving out the part that he had feelings for her. He was still coming to terms with the fact that he was falling for her and didn’t want to say anything yet. He valued her too much to do something that would hurt her, nor did he want to influence her decision. He explained that Audrey thought it best that they either worked together or saw each other outside of the hospital. She had rolled her eyes and told him it was ridiculous and listed all the things Aaron did outside the hospital with Shaun that no one had a problem with. He enjoyed watching her share her thoughts as she expressed her frustration with the double standards. As she took a sip of her wine, she had told him that it was an easy decision, opting to continue meeting for dinner, running together and whatever else they decided to do. He had felt such a sense of relief and was glad that they seemed to be on the same page.

Audrey had shaken her head when she had told him to be careful and then they had rearranged the schedule. The others all thought it was solely because of the complaint. Over the next few weeks, he spent more time with Claire outside of work. He learned more about her and shared more about himself as well. He was thinking about inviting her to meet his sister. He cared about her, was falling in love with her more every day, yet he still hadn’t told her. He used to look forward to going to work, now he looked forward to the end of his shift when he could meet up with Claire. He missed working beside her, but their friendship was so much better.

Neil had hoped after some time passed that Audrey would allow him to work with Claire again. Unfortunately, she continued to keep Claire off his service. All the residents were talented, but they each had different strengths, and for his current case he needed Claire. His patient was a scared four-year boy, Noah, who needed heart surgery. His mother was unable to stay with him in the hospital because if she took too much more time off work, she would lose her job. Neil had convinced her that Noah would be safe, and she could come after her shift. Neil had gone to Audrey to ask for Claire to be part of his team, knowing that she would be able to calm both the boy and his mother. She had refused, giving him Morgan and Shaun instead. In typical circumstances, he wouldn’t have minded, but in this case, he needed a different skillset. He was proven right when he was paged to Noah’s room as a lockdown code was called over the intercom system.

He rushed to Noah’s room as his fear and anger rose. He found Morgan standing next to an empty bed.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I came to check his vitals and he was gone,” Morgan answered.

“Why was he left alone? I told you both to stay with him. ”

Morgan looked down, obviously upset, “I went to go check on his blood work. I thought Shaun was here.”

Neil took a few deep breaths to try to calm himself as he felt the panic rising. Noah was scheduled for surgery in less than an hour. He didn’t want to have to call his mother after giving his word that everything would be fine.

“Find him,” he said as he walked to the nurse’s station where he found Audrey.

“We’ve shut down all exits and security is looking for him,” Audrey said.

He banged his hand against the counter, “I told you I needed Dr. Browne for this patient.”

She folded her arms across her chest, “You think he wouldn’t have run away if she was his doctor?”

“She wouldn’t have left a scared little boy all alone before surgery,” he said his voice rising.

“Maybe if you didn’t have inappropriate feelings for a resident,” she started.

“There is nothing inappropriate about the way I feel for Claire and that has nothing to do with this,” he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. “You punished a child because you didn’t think I could work with her. I asked for her for this case because she was the best person for the job.”

“Do you really think that or are your feelings clouding your judgement?”

“If you had to pick a resident to work with a scared child, who would be your first choice?” he asked furiously.

“Dr. Browne,” Marcus answered as he joined them.

Neil looked at Audrey as she sighed.

“What happened?” Marcus asked.

“Noah is scheduled for surgery and ran away. His mother couldn’t stay because she had to go to work or risk losing her job. Morgan and Shaun were supposed to stay with him.”

“Wouldn’t have happened if you had put Claire with him,” Marcus stated. “You know she would’ve stayed by his side the whole time.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Why wasn’t she working with you?” Marcus asked. “Is it because you’re dating?”

“We’re not dating,” Neil answered as Audrey responded, “Yes.”

“I don’t know why you deny it,” he continued, “Anyone who spends five minutes in a room with you two can see that something’s there. I’m just surprised it took you guys this long.”

“We’re not together,” he said, uncomfortable with the way the conversation had shifted.

He could admit that this relationship with Claire had grown the past month, but she had never said anything about wanting the two of them to be more than friends. However, if Marcus had noticed, maybe he wasn’t alone in wanting more. 

Thankfully he was spared from a further discussion as Alex called his name, drawing his attention to him and Claire. She had Noah in her arms. His head resting against her shoulder and his arms around her neck. He leaned against the counter, sagging in relief.

“Where did you find him?” he asked.

“He was in the ER waiting room,” Claire answered as she came up beside them. “He said he was waiting for his mom.”

She shifted Noah in her arms. Neil went to take him from her, but Noah wrapped his arms tighter around her neck. She cringed as he pulled her hair.

“Good luck with that,” Alex laughed. “He’ll only go to Claire.”

Neil looked to Audrey as this once again proved his point. She shook her head as she told Claire to take Noah back to his room. Neil followed behind them.

“We have to get him hooked back up so we can check his vitals before surgery,” Neil said as he checked his watch. “Hopefully we won’t lose the OR.”

Claire attempted to put him down on the bed, but Noah just wrapped himself around her tighter. Despite the situation, Neil fought a smile as she tried again and failed.

“Can you lower the bed a little?” she asked softly.

He nodded, curious about her plans. “This good?”

“Thanks,” she sank down on the bed with Noah still in her arms. She laid down and allowed him to curl up next to her. For a second Neil felt as if he had a glimpse of their future together, their son curled up against his mother for bed time. She looked up at him waiting for him to attach the wires. He shook the image from his mind. Noah needed his complete attention.

As Neil went to attach the heart monitor, Noah curled himself closer to Claire. 

“It’s okay,” Claire told him. “We’re just going to put the wires back on.”

“No,” he said somehow moving closer to her.

“Dr. Melendez is my friend,” she said softly, smiling up at him. “He needs to put those wires back on your chest so he can check your heart. He’ll have to do the IV too. I’ll stay right here with you. It’s okay.”

Noah moved so Neil could reattach the wires and IV. He was unsure how Noah had been able to remove them all in the first place. He pushed away his frustration with Morgan and Shaun and focused on the little boy in front of him.

“I’m going to check and see if we are still able to do the surgery, I’ll be right back. Do you mind staying?”

She gave him a look. “Of course not.”

“Thanks.”

He went back to the nurses’ station and confirmed that they would still be able to complete the surgery. He spoke with both Morgan and Shaun and told them to go get prepared. He would be bringing Noah down. He would figure out the consequences for their actions later, now they needed to focus on the surgery. He wanted to kick them out of the surgery, but he knew they both well versed in the procedure. He thought of asking Claire to scrub in as well but knew Audrey would disapprove. He headed back to his room to get him ready for the surgery.

As he walked closer, he saw Audrey standing outside the room looking in through the window. He moved and stood beside her, watching Noah and Claire. The little boy was resting comfortably against her.

“I’m sorry,” Audrey said softly. “I should’ve listened when you asked for Claire today.”

“Thank you. I know you think it’s a problem, but it’s not. We can work together despite our friendship.”

She shook her head, “I know you can, but you have to think about how it looks to everyone else. They won’t see a talented surgeon, they are going to see a woman who used her boss to get ahead.” He started to interrupt her, but she continued. “It’s not right and it’s not fair, but that’s what Claire is going to have to deal with. You both just have to make sure you’re ready for that.”

He appreciated her being honest with him. It frustrated him that things could be so difficult for Claire, which was the last thing he wanted. He hadn’t meant to fall in love with her, it just happened. And he was getting tired of pretending that she wasn’t everything to him.

“If you two decide to move forward with a relationship,” Audrey continued, “I’ll do my best to support you two.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised. “What changed?”

“Marcus,” she said. “He’s right, others can see it too. He said he’d support the two of you as well,” she laughed, “as long as he gets to have Claire on his rotation more.”

“Tell him to be careful, that’s how the favoritism complaints start.”

Audrey rolled her eyes, “Just be mindful of what you two do, especially here at work. Good luck with your surgery.”

“I don’t need luck,” he said. “And thank you.”

“I was your friend before I was your boss, I can still be there for you.”

“I’m glad.”

Audrey headed back to her office, and Neil entered Noah’s room. 

Claire looked up at him as he walked in. “He’s asleep,” she said softly.

“Think you’ll be able to get up,” he whispered.

She nodded. Carefully, she slid her arm out from under him before slowly sliding away and getting off the bed.

“Is the surgery still on?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “I’m going to take him down now.”

“Don’t trust the others not to lose him again?” she teased.

He glared at her. “Don’t remind me. It has been a crazy day.”

“Up for a run after work?”

“Let’s see how everything goes, I might need a drink instead.”

“Sounds good.”

They worked together to get Noah ready for the OR, making sure they didn’t wake him up. As they started to wheel the bed out of the room, Claire rested her hand against his arm.

“Do you mind if I watch from the gallery? I told him I’d keep an eye on him”

He placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed. “Of course, I don’t mind. I’d much rather have you beside me.”

She glanced down at the sleeping child, “Probably a good thing I won’t be.”

He smiled at her, “I know you hate it, but you really are a soft touch.”

She rolled her eyes, “Maybe this time it’s okay.”

He took Noah down to the OR and let them prep him for the procedure as he got himself ready. He took a few deep breaths as he scrubbed his hands, thinking about the surgery and what needed to be done. Morgan and Shaun were already there, and he didn’t say much to them as they did the procedure. They supported the procedure, but he did most of the work. As they closed, he allowed himself a chance to look up to the gallery and saw Claire smiling at him. He was glad that everything went well after the craziness earlier.

Noah got settled back into his room, and when Neil went to check on him, he found Claire and Noah’s mother there. He was glad she was back at the hospital but was not looking forward to explaining that they had temporarily lost her son.

As he walked in, he noticed that Claire had given her mother a folder, and he also noticed a stuffed animal sitting by his bed. He was sure that was also from Claire. She left them alone. He explained everything that had happened, and that the surgery was a success and that Noah had left the room, which he apologized for. She was upset but also relieved that everything went well. She blamed herself for not being there. She told him that Dr. Browne provided her with some resources so that she would be able to get help while Noah recovered and support for how she could keep her job. Again, he was proven right when he had needed her in the first place. Promising to come back before he left for the day, he left the two of them alone.

He found Claire in the lounge working on some paperwork. He sank down into the chair next to her.

“Thank you for being there for his mom.”

“She felt so bad that she had to leave him, but she also has to be able to keep a roof over their heads.”

He watched the familiar sadness in her eyes and knew she was thinking of her own mother.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking dinner instead of a run tonight.”

“As long as there’s wine, I’m there.”

They talked about where they wanted to go for dinner and agreed to meet at the restaurant after they finished up at work.

An hour later, they were sitting across from each other eating dinner. They talked more about their day at work. As always, they settled into their conversations easily. 

“I had asked Audrey for you to work on Noah’s case.”

She rolled her eyes, “Everyone is going to have to get used to the fact that we’re friends.”

He felt his heart drop at her words. He didn’t want them to just be friends. Seeing her interacting with Noah, being around her every day, it was getting harder and harder to ignore his feelings. Neil thought about bringing up his conversation with Audrey and Marcus but wasn’t sure if it was the right time. 

“Do you regret it?” he asked softly.

She frowned, “Regret what?”

“Choosing to remain friends instead of working together.”

She hesitated for a moment. “I do miss working beside you. You’re a brilliant surgeon and I’ve learned a lot from you. But I know I’d miss this more.”

She smiled at him and it felt as if something shifted between them. The waiter came and they ordered a piece of cake to share. They continued their conversation about the day and what he was going to do to punished Morgan and Shaun. He hadn’t decided yet, and she told him that the anticipation of his punishment was probably worse than whatever he could decide.

He felt Claire’s eyes on him as the waiter placed the cake in the middle of the table. He wished he could figure out what she was thinking.

“Is this a date?” she asked as she took a bit of cake.

Surprised by the question he hesitated before asking, “Do you want it to be?”

“I asked first.”

“Yes,” he answered softly. “Do you?”

She nodded and gave him a smile. “I have for a while.”

“Me too.”

“I’m terrified,” she admitted. “I don’t know how to not hurt someone I care about.”

As they had grown closer, Claire had never shied away from sharing about her past relationships with men, and how she had always run away from real relationships.

He reached out and took her hand. “We’ll figure it out together.”

“What about work?”

“We’re already not working together,” he said. “And Audrey and Marcus already think somethings going on.”

“Really?”

He finally admitted that after the favoritism complaint he told Audrey that he had feelings for her.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were pretty adamant that we were just friends.”

“Because I thought that was what you wanted.”

He sighed, thinking about all the time they had missed out on truly being together.

“I understand why Audrey wants to keep you off my rotation,” he said. “So that others don’t question your success, but there is something I want you to know.”

“What?”

“If the others think that I favored you, it’s not because I care about you. It’s because you are not only an incredible surgeon but also a compassionate person. That little boy today could see that. You helped him and his mother, and they weren’t even your patient. You make me a better surgeon and a better person.”

She looked down as he spoke, a slight blush staining her cheeks. She was so beautiful.

“You push me to be a better surgeon and better version of myself too. You saved me when I was drowning.”

He shook his head, “I was just at the right place.”

“No, you saw me when no one else did.”

“I’ve always seen you,” he admitted.

It may have taken him awhile to admit to himself his feelings for her, but they had been growing for a while. As they finished eating the cake, he found himself getting lost in her eyes. He felt a sense of peace that they were finally moving forward in their relationship.

“Will we need to do anything differently at work?” she asked.

“I’ll talk to Audrey and see what she thinks,” he said. “I think that since we have already stopped working together that will help. We will eventually have to go to HR.”

She made a face. “At least you’ve done it before so you can tell me what to expect. Although, I will tell you there will be no making out in the OR.”

“That’s a shame.”

She bit her lip as she reached for her wine glass. She finished the rest of her wine before she squeezed his hand. “You’re very important to me and I don’t want to mess this up.”

“Neither do I.” 

“Would it bother you if we took things slowly?”

The waiter came with the check, preventing him from answering right away. He paid the bill and finished his wine.

“It wouldn’t bother me at all. You tell me what you need. I’m not going anywhere. You’re very important to me too.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

They both stood and walked out of the restaurant. Usually, when they had dinner together, Neil had to remind himself not to touch her, this time he allowed his hand to rest against her lower back as they left. He walked her to her car.

“Text me when you get home,” he said.

She reached out and tugged on his hand bringing him closer. His eyes traveled down to her lips and he wasn’t sure which one of them moved first as they kissed. He pulled away slightly to ask her if it was okay. She nodded and deepened the kiss. He thought of asking her to come home with him but knew that wasn’t taking it slow.

Reluctantly, he pulled away. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, resting his head against hers.

“Have a goodnight,” she kissed him gently before moving to get into her car.

He watched her drive off before he went to get into his car. He couldn’t believe what a crazy day it had been. He went from a missing patient, to a successful surgery and now to being able to have a relationship with the woman he was in love with. He drove home thinking about all that was going to happen between him and Claire.

As he entered his house, he slipped his shoes off and dropped his things by the door. His phone started to ring as he walked towards his bedroom. He smiled when he saw it was Claire.

“Hi,” he said as he continued to his room. “Everything okay?”

“I know you said to text, but I just wanted to let you know I was home.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I just got in myself.”

“Good,” she said yawning. “Neil, I just wanted to tell you that I’m really happy.”

“Me too. Now, get yourself to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have a goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

He found himself unable to stop smiling as he hung up. He quickly got ready for bed and feel asleep quickly.

When he woke up, Neil thought about all that had happened the previous day and was looking forward to getting to the hospital to check on Noah and to see Claire. He went through his usually morning routine and headed to the hospital a little early. He hoped that he would see Claire before rounds started. He knew that things wouldn’t be different in how they interacted at work, but he would know that they were now together. He wondered if anyone else would notice. 

Once he got to the hospital, he put his things in his office and then headed to Noah’s room to check on him. He fought back a smile when he saw that Claire was already there. She was hugging Noah’s mother and he wondered what they had been talking about. He knocked gently on the door before entering.

“Good morning,” he said to them both.

“Good morning, Dr. Melendez,” Claire said with a smile.

He realized now that it was going to be more difficult than he thought. He remembered the way it felt to kiss her, and he really wanted them to do it again.

“I’ll see you later,” she said as she left. As she walked by, she offered him another brilliant smile. Shaking his head, he focused back on his patient.

“How are you doing?” he asked Noah’s mother, as he checked the sleeping child’s vitals. He figured that Claire had already done it, but he wanted to see for himself as well.

“Better,” she answered. “I can stay with him today.”

“That’s great,” he answered surprised. She had been anxious and stressed the day before about losing her job. “What about work?”

“I don’t need to worry about that right now,” she said. “Dr. Browne helped me. She’s incredible.”

“I know,” he said with a smile. “We’ll be back later to check on Noah when he’s awake. You try to get some rest.”

“Thank you,” she said giving him a hug. “Thank you for taking care of my baby.”

He left and headed to the lounge, hoping to catch Claire before the others got there. He was curious what she had been able to do for the family and grateful that she was able to help. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was alone, he walked in hoping they would be able to talk.

“What did you do for Noah and his mom?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She said you made it, so she doesn’t have to worry about work. What did you do?”

“Gave her some resources to help and some information that would help.”

He had a feeling that she did more than just that but wasn’t going to push her. He knew she tended to get attached to their patients and went above and beyond what was expected. Instead, he moved to sit down at the table with her. He folded his hands on top the table to prevent himself from reaching out to her.

“How was your night?”

She smiled at him as she took a sip of coffee. “Really good. How about you?”

“One of the best.”

“I was hoping to have a repeat of it tonight.”

“Me too.”

“I was thinking…”

They were interrupted as Audrey and Marcus walked in. “Where are the others?” Audrey asked, checking her watch.

“I think they were down in the ER,” Claire answered.

“Thanks,” Audrey said. “Claire, you’re with me today.”

Claire stood, giving Neil a smile as they left.

“You two are ridiculous,” Marcus said, shaking his head.

“What?”

“Hiding behind friendship,” Marcus shook his head. “What a waste.”

Neil watched as Marcus left to head to the ER. He fought back a smile. He wasn’t wasting a moment with Claire. They had their whole lives ahead of them. He couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring. He knew whatever happened it would be amazing.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate it!!


End file.
